| VOLUME 28 | * * All Arts News On the Web * * | December 12, 2024 |
ArtBits always features a calendar of the goings on of Franklin County artists. Check out these events around Franklin County. Each issue includes the entire text of our weekly newspaper column. STUFF YOU SHOULDN'T MISS
Franklin County's arts and music gatherings bring new opportunities, gossip, "show-and-tell" and occasional workshops. There are also booked and acoustic Open Mic Nights that feature music, readings, and more from the best new artists in Vermont.
... FROM THE ARTBITS DESK ...
E-Mail Delivery
Sign up to receive the free weekly ArtBits
newsletter by e-mail
or by RSS feed.
ST. ALBANS--Saint Pauls UMC hosts a New Old Fashioned Christmas Party on Saturday at 6 p.m. The evening will include food, fellowship, singing, a Yankee Swap, and the singing and acting out of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Find them on Facebook for more info. CHRISTMAS PARTY
ST. ALBANS--'Tis the Giving Season. Artist In Residence hopes readers can help Rai$e the Roof of the Gallery. Their roof needs a major repair to protect the artist's work and continue welcoming the community into the gallery. Click here to donate and for more info. ART ON THE WALLS
The art and fine craft cooperative features paintings, fiber arts, stained glass, sculpture, lamps, pottery, folk art boxes, scarves, hats and more by 40 Franklin County and surrounding area artists. It is owned and operated by the artists and sponsors. The gallery on South Main Street is open daily through the holidays, Sunday - Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Click here or find them on Facebook for more info.
JEFFERSONVILLE--Bryan Memorial Gallery features At the Bridge a new oil by George Van Hook. It is in the Stowe gallery and on Facebook .
The gallery has exhibits of the landscape painters of New England. The main showcase in Jeffersonville is open Wednesday-Sunday 11 - 4 and the Stowe Gallery is open Wednesday - Sunday, 11 - 5. Appointments are available. Call ahead (802.644.5100) to schedule or click here for more info.
SHELDON--The Abbey hosts the Early Christmas Show with local knit and sew crafter Debbie Paradee of Busy Hands Crafts on Saturday at 5 p.m. There will be blankets, kids clothes, PJs, and more in time for the holidays. ART FOR SALE
ALBURGH--Kraemer & Kin family brewery has the Vermont Holiday Market on Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Click here for more info.
MONTGOMERY--The 10th annual Montgomery PTCO Holiday Craft Show will fill the Montgomery Elementary School with hand made art and crafts and food specialty products created by 50 local vendors on Saturday at 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The show has everything from wood to metal, ceramics and pottery to leather, macrame to macaroons, artwork, lotions, jewelry, photography, candles, soaps, quilts, bacon and sausage, wreaths and balsam centerpieces, salves and tinctures, fabric and knitted items, maple products, coco bombs, jams and jellies, and more. A hot breakfast and lunch will be available. A 50/50 raffle benefits the Montgomery Elementary School. Email or find them on Facebook for more info.
WASHINGTON, CT--The Institute for American Indian Studies annual Holiday Market is open on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. The market has one-of-a-kind holiday gifts from local and indigenous vendors selling crafts and Native American jewelry, and books by a range of indigenous authors, including many from our region. Admission to the museum and market is free. Find them on Facebook for more info.
MORRISVILLE--River Arts hosts the in-person, December "Paint & Sip: Winter Landscapes Watercolor" with Evie Mason on Friday at 6 p.m. Attendees will learn how to blend contemporary Sara Brown-inspired landscaping with a semi-abstract influence and turn a blank canvas into a serene winter vista. ART YOU CREATE
The cost is $55. Click here to enroll and for more info.
ESSEX--Vermont Swings with Summer Sounds favorites Joe's Big Band in the Double E Lounge on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Doors at 6, dance lesson at 6:30 and show at 7. Vermont Swings offers a dancing lesson before Vermont's premier 17-piece jazz ensemble takes the stage for a night not to be missed. Admission is $15-20. Click here for tickets and more info or find them on Facebook for more info. DANCE
ST. ALBANS--It is Classic Movie Night (and Matinee!) at the St. Albans Free Library with Margaret Sullivan and James Stewart as anonymous pen pals in the Shop Around the Corner on Thursday at 6 p.m. and reprised at the Friday matinee at 1 p.m. The free presentation includes the show, the popcorn, cocoa, and tea. This showing is an after-hours event. Please arrive before the doors close at 6 p.m. Click here for more info. FILM & FILM MEETUP
ST. ALBANS--Zach Scheffler and Franklin County Film Club host a Film Club Collab at 14th Star Brewing Company on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. S1E5 brings together film club friends and neighbors at for a holiday evening hangout. Find them on Facebook for more info.
ONLINE--Will Eberle explores A Bridge Across Our Two Vermonts at Kimball Public Library and online on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The discussion will focus on the issues of addiction, housing insecurity, and poverty and how to surmount the effect of bias and stigma. "Register for this free event" for the link to the stream. Call Vermont Humanities (802.262.2626) or click here to register and for more info. HUMANITIES
ENOSBURG FALLS--The Opera House at Enosburg Falls hosts the Best Christmas Pageant Ever on Friday at 7 p.m. with a matinee on Saturday at 2 p.m. The hometown holiday show features the Herdman family as they crash the annual Christmas pageant, bringing chaos (and charm) to the local church's event. THEATER
Admission is $12 for ages 12-62, $10 for ages 4-12, veterans and seniors, and free for infants and toddlers. Click here for tickets and more info.
MORRISVILLE--The River Arts Mindful Art Series continues with Creative Escape led by Jen Volansky today at 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. The immersive journey in mixed media art is a magical journey of fantasy, storytelling, and the art of diorama creation. The cost is $30. Click here to register and for more info. WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
MILTON--The Milton Artists' Guild has a pair of workshops this week.
The Live Model Figure Drawing Class taught by Patrick McAllister meets Friday at 6 p.m. Students should bring their own paper and drawing supplies. The cost is $25 for members or $30 for non-members. Click here for more info.
Social Sundays continue at the MAG Art Center with free weekly art classes for families at MAG on Sunday at 1 p.m. Each week offers a different project. Stay for 30 minutes or the whole two hours. Click here for more info.
FRANKLIN--The Haston Library hosts a Felting Workshop with Carolyn Kittell on Saturday at 10 a.m. All materials will be provided. Space is limited. Call (802.285.6505) or Email the library to sign up.
About 20 percent of Vermonters have gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccine and 28 percent have gotten a flu shot, according to the Vermont Department of Health dashboard. Franklin County residents have even lower rates of protection although now 18% have the updated COVID-19 vaccine and 24 percent have gotten a flu shot. COVID NEWS
COVID-19 is still here whether Vermonters get the shot or not. Variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continue to emerge. KP.3 and MC.16 remain the dominant circulating variant although XEC specimens are increasing. The current vaccine formula protects against serious outcomes of all current variants of the virus.
There was a slight uptick in ER visits in the week ending November 30. COVID hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise as respiratory illnesses surge as we move indoors for the winter. 67 cases were reported in the week ending November 30, up from 51 the week before. More than half of those cases were under age 60 and 20 percent were in the age 60-69 population category. In total, 1,230 pandemic deaths have been reported as of November 13, meaning COVID claimed another Vermonters' life in the past week.
Vermont's wastewater monitoring has shown shows that the levels of the virus ticked up slightly in Montpelier and Essex Junction. According to the Vermont Department of Health, wastewater data shows some of the COVID-19 in the community "because an infected person sheds into the water no matter if they're sick or not." Obviously those of us on septic systems (mound systems, tanks, or cesspools) are not included in the data so the actual numbers are higher.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends multiple vaccines, including the new COVID-19 vaccine and an updated flu shot. Medicare continues to cover vaccines without cost sharing. Most adults with health insurance and all children can continue to get the vaccine without cost-sharing. Vermont's universal vaccine program covers the cost of the COVID-19 vaccines at all primary care offices for adults without health insurance or whose insurance does not cover all costs. We can still order four free COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov. The tests available for order are rapid antigen, at-home tests requiring no lab drop-off. Many COVID-19 tests have longer shelf life and extended expiration dates.
My own plan remains unchanged, especially since our precautions have waned and the current variants dodge all but the most up-to-date immunity. I got the COVID, Flu, and RSV shots, and the boosters, and I still take precautions because neither vaccine nor "natural immunity" is 100% foolproof. I wash my hands. I double mask with a genuine N95 mask (not a bandana and not a "chin strap") plus a surgical mask everywhere I can't control the airflow. It isn't much of a burden and it mostly protects me from all the people without masks I see in stores and concerts.
Thursday, December 12 ON STAGE LIVE
SOUTH HERO--The Blue Paddle Bistro hosts Acoustic Thursday this evening at 5 - 7 p.m. Click here for more info.
ST. ALBANS--Come Home for the Holidays, Troy Millette's 12th annual Christmas show starring Troy Millette and the Fire Below with Forest Station, Frankie White, and Ryan Sweezey and the Midnight Walkers, all in the Showcase Lounge this evening starting 7 p.m. Doors at 6:30. Featuring a special full-band acoustic set a la MTV Unplugged, the benefit concert returns to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics Vermont and Northwestern Counseling & Support Services
Admission is $20 in advance or $25 day of show. Click here for tickets and more info.
Friday, December 13
COLCHESTER--St. Albans' Blue Heron plays the live and free Friday Night Live Music at the Spanked Puppy on Friday at 6 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
SHELDON--The Abbey Friday Night Music Series often has live performances on Friday about 6:30 p.m. Reservations are suggested. Find them on Facebook for more info.
FAIRFAX--The United Church hosts a Christmas Benefit concert with the Fairfax, Fletcher, Westford Band on Friday at 7 p.m. traditional band tunes with a Christmas theme. The suggested admission is one canned good to help support the Fairfax Food Shelf. There will also be a pie raffle and a cookie table with a free-will donation basket. Find them on Facebook for more info.
ST. ALBANS--14th Star presents Next Stop Comedy live on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The former Boston Comedy Club brings stand-up comedians to local venues. Admission is $25. Find them on Facebook for more info and click here for tickets.
Friday-Sunday, December 13-15
ST. ALBANS--The Taphouse at Mill River has shows on Friday and Saturday nights in December. Roger Giroux plays Friday and Jerborn goes live on Saturday. Music starts about 5:30 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
JERICHO--The Jericho Cafe and Tavern fills the weekend with Live Music in December. The Shane Murley Band plays Friday. The Lloyd Tyler Band performs live on Saturday night. Music starts at 6 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
ESSEX--The Double E hits a triple this weekend.
Vermont Swings with Summer Sounds favorites Joe's Big Band in the Double E Lounge on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Doors at 6, dance lesson at 6:30 and show at 7. Admission is $15-20. Click here for tickets and more info.
The Champlain Trio with violinist Letitia Quante, cellist Emily Taubl, and pianist Hiromi Fukuda performs a candlelight concert in the T-Rex Theater on Saturday at 5 p.m. Admission is $10-25. Click here for tickets and more info.
Reggae Saturday continues in the Double E Lounge on Saturday at 9 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. Find them on Facebook for more info.
ST. ALBANS--Twiggs often has shows on Friday and Saturday nights. This week they host IncaHoots and Summer Sounds favorite John Geno on Friday and Eric Bushey and Cliff Crosby as the Blue Rock Boys live on Saturday night. Music starts about 6:30 p.m. Call 802.524.1405 or find them on Facebook for more info. Click here to book a reservation or to visit the art on the walls.
Saturday, December 14
JEFFERSONVILLE--Bryan Gallery hosts a special Holiday Piano Concert with Christopher McWilliams in the Gallery on Saturday at 4 p.m. The local pianist premiere his original composition based on the Land & Light & Water & Air exhibition and perform a selection of holiday songs including the Nutcracker Suite by Peter I. Tchaikovsky, Bell-Ringing by Edvard Grieg, highlights from A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi, and more. Light refreshments served. Free and open to all ages. Click here for more info.
BURLINGTON--Foam Presents the 4th annual Holiday Extravaganza celebration with local bands playing holiday covers on Saturday starting at 5 p.m. The big night has Troy Millette, Savage Hen (Matt Hagen), Gay For Disco, the Middle Ages, Rangus, Ivamae, Andriana Chobot, Danny and the Parts, and more with Santa's Brand New Bag (Matt Dolliver & Friends) as the House Band for the evening, all playing festive cheer, holiday jingles, and lots of belly laughs. Admission is free. Click here for more info.
ALBURGH--Kraemer & Kin family brewery has live music every Saturday starting at 6:30 p.m. Click here for more info.
ESSEX JUNCTION--Justice 3 returns to On Tap for late night music on Saturday starting at 9 p.m. This is their final On Tap show for 2024. Call 802.878.3309 or email for more info. Click here to reserve a table.
Sunday, December 15
WESTFORD--Summer Sounds favorite Carol Ann Jones leads a Holiday Concert and Sing-along at Westford Common Hall (the little white church) on Sunday at 4 p.m. Admission is by free will donation and there will be a pie raffle. Call 802.734.8177 for more info.
Wednesday, December 18
ST. ALBANS--Nobby Reed will host a special Blues Night at Twiggs with special guest Jason Corbiere on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Mr. Corbiere is a Swanton native and Grammy nominee now based in Austin, TX. Our own "Little Drummer Boy-Made-Good" is Jimmie Vaughan's drummer. Find them on Facebook for more info.
Virtual music and events continue this week. ALMOST LIVE ON STAGE
The final round of the fiddle-off at the 2010 Pembroke (Ontario) fiddle contest included April Verch, Shane Cooke, and Danny Perrault. The contest involved 25 fiddlers playing reels in turn without stopping and without playing tunes that had already been played. This clip shows the final round of 3 at that contest which lasted about 2 hours. The winner was April Verch. Find the video on Facebook or email Mark Sustic for more info.
Summer Sounds favorite Mark Shelton sang a "Water for Good" Benefit at Dunrovin in the Shire of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and on Facebook on Tuesday. Listen for A Fool Such as I, I'll Remember You, Splish Splash, and Here Comes Santa Claus and more. The concert and benefit are in memory of Lisa Joy Shelton. Click here to donate to the Clean Water Well in Africa. Follow Mr. Shelton on Facebook for a link to this week's offerings.
FAIRFIELD--Franklin County Photogs with Harry Goldhagen hosts a virtual Zoom group at Bent Northrop Memorial Library on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The group meets monthly to share and learn about photography. Join the Zoom Meeting with passcode: 527511 or click here for the Zoom link and more info. FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF
ST. ALBANS--Local historian Jason Barney and genealogist Christine Eldred wrote The Hidden History of Lake Champlain. They will sign and talk about the Hidden History at the Eloquent Page on Sunday at 11 a.m. Their book is "full of things you thought you knew but didn't, never knew at all, or just can't believe." Find them on Facebook for more info.
ArtBits features a quick weekly peek at library events in and around Franklin County. That popular feature has a page of its own at the Franklin County Bookshelf here on the AAC site at AllArtsCouncil.org/books. We also take an occasional peek at the bookshelf or night stand of the folks you know in and around Franklin County. Those reviews can be found on the ArtBits Bookshelf.
Good News!There are so many events around the region that we miss some of them.Be sure to check these calendars for what's happening near you ... |
||
Music!Links to the Summer Music series in Franklin County |
||
Dick Harper, Chair
P.O. Box 1
Highgate Springs, VT 05460
email us
|
This article may also have originally been published in the traditional print media. It is Copyright © 2024 by Richard B. Harper. All rights reserved.
Archival material is provided as-is. Links are not necessarily maintained (if a link in this article fails, try Google.com or your favorite search engine). Thanks to recent misuse of copyright material on the Internet by individuals and archival firms alike, we emphasize that your rights to this article are limited to viewing it and printing it for personal use only. You must receive explicit permission from the All Arts Council and the author before reprinting or redistributing this article in any medium. Visit our Trademarks and Copyright page for more information. |